1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus used to automatically supply logs for use in a woodburning fireplace. The invention is operated in either of two modes: (a) to automatically place a log into the fireplace grating, or, (b) to allow a log to be removed from the apparatus, by hand, from the interior of a building, for placement into the fireplace by hand.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
A variety of devices are known for supplying logs to fireplaces.
FISHER, U.S. Pat. No. 591,752, discloses an apparatus for feeding solid fuel to a furnace which incorporates an operating rod and a hinged door adjacent to a furnace opening.
JOSTEN, U.S. Pat. No. 742,198, discloses a furnace with an automatic solid fuel feeding device. The back of the stove includes a pivotal fire door or valve, which pivots into the stove when solid fuel is delivered to the device from a solid fuel containing slidable receptacle or magazine. The magazine is comprised of a series of superimposed inclined pockets or compartments. A grate is provided for retaining the solid fuel delivered by the feeding device.
GARDNER, U.S. Pat. No. 789,849, discloses a coal feeder for a furnace which includes an endless conveyor belt in the form of an elevator having a plurality of buckets attached to it for carrying coal from a supply feed hopper to a charge hopper.
ZAMERNICK, U.S. Pat. No. 1,335,265, discloses an automatic fuel feeder for wood burning stoves which has a fuel magazine comprising an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall and a plurality of pawls which are adapted to support logs or other solid wood blocks. A roller is provided with arms and a handle is moved rearwardly to rotate a shaft and withdraw the pawls from beneath the lowermost block so that it will descend along the teeth of a roller. The roller rotates under the influence of the weight of the block, and the block is thus deposited upon the rear edge of the cover of the furnace so that each block will fall into the stove and rest upon a grate bar.
MONZEIN, French Pat. No. 2,444,892, discloses a fireplace log feeder which is moved by a plurality of wheels. The feeder includes a timer which activates a motor to drive a conveyer and periodically, at timed intervals, deposit logs in a fireplace chamber.
NORMAN, U.S. Pat. No. 2,454,400, discloses an automatic log stroker for furnaces which comprises a hopper and a spring loaded pusher for feeding logs into an arcuate fire box. The arcuate fire box conducts the logs to a rotary grate.
GALLUZO et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,231, discloses a fireplace structure having a telescoping feed assembly and a fuel hopper assembly comprising a storage container filled with fuel to be dispensed through a loading door; the fuel used is preferably coal. The container opens at its lower end through an opening, which in turn communicates the container with a removable chute. The chute is shaped substantially in the form of a rectangular box and extends into a fire chamber via a rack, where it is fitted with a fire proof tap along its inner end.
FIKE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,119, discloses a fireplace having an arrangement for feeding long logs, at least two at a time, to a combustion chamber. A long tunnel or enclosure having a plurality of walls includes a mouth which is framed by a side wall opening of the firebox. An exterior door opens to the log enclosure and a feed assembly which is provided with log drive rollers which assist in feeding logs to the chamber. Additionally, a coal supply enclosure can be provided which includes a hopper having an inclined bottom wall for delivering coal to the upper surface of a chain belt. The chain belt comprises an endless conveyor driven by a motor.
GROSSNIKLAUS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,567, discloses a wood fired furnace assembly which has a device for feeding wood to the furnace. The device comprises a ram aligned with a feed duct, which in turn leads to a fire chamber. A flap is provided to push any wood lying against a wall towards an aperture so that the ram plunger will contact and break up the wood in front of the aperture, thus pushing the wood into the feed duct. The feed duct, in turn, conducts wood in the direction of the fire chamber.
MICHEAL, U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,700 discloses a device for automatically charging a wood burning stove with logs. The device includes a rod-like member and arcuately-shaped log supporting members. A time relay is provided for releasing latching means to allow the log, supporting members to pivot downwardly, and to drop desired logs onto the fireplace.
FINCH, U.S. Pat. No.4,339,998, discloses a fuel level indicator which may be used to actuate a rearward mounted, partitioned conveyor, which advances incrementally thereby depositing a load of fuel in an inclined chute, which, in turn, allows logs to slide into the fireplace.
MANLEY, U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,538, discloses an automatic log feeder for fireplaces which comprises a vertically arranged, partitioned storage hopper and chute which dispenses individual logs onto foldable brackets mounted on a vertical chain conveyor. In turn the chain conveyor deposits the individual logs onto a horizontal conveyor which pushes the log through a hinged door and into the fireplace.
BOURON, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,915, discloses an automatic fuel feeder for wood burning boilers which comprises a grated combustion chamber, storage means, a split, semi-cylindrical shaped carriage for receiving successive charges of fuel from storage means and thereafter discharging the charge into the combustion chamber, and conveyor means for moving the carriage means between the combustion chamber and storage means. A partitioned storage magazine, mounted perpendicular to the carriage mechanism, rotates to discharge a load fuel onto the carriage bin. Thereafter the loaded carriage bin is moved into a position cantilevered into the combustion chamber whereupon the carriage bin opens to discharge the fuel. After discharge of the fuel the carriage bin closes, withdraws from the combustion chamber and returns to the storage magazine.
None of these patents disclose the particular delivery apparatus disclosed in the present invention, that is, none discloses delivery by means of two parallel, non-partitioned, and horizontally arranged conveyor mechanisms, one mounted over the other (a means of saving space and making the feeder more compact and efficient). What makes this space saving "stacked" conveyor mechanism possible is the unique intermediate carriage mechanism, disclosed herein, which not only transports the log from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, but also translates the orientation of the log, from a storage position at right angles to the direction of travel of the upper conveyor (necessary for efficient use of storage space) to an orientation which is aligned with the direction of travel of the lower conveyor (necessary for insertion of the log through a small hinged door on the side of the fireplace). Further, none of these patents disclose the cantilevered lower conveyor tray, shown herein, for gently tipping the log onto the fireplace hearth.